Police suspect that the teenagers' actions were nationalistically motivated and carried out under the auspices of an organization called "Lovers of the Land," which aims to physically harm Jewish residents of the city.

Tau, aged 34, was stabbed in his back while making his way from the Western Wall to Ras al-Amud together with a friend. The knife, which was removed from Tauabraham east jerusalem stabbed jpost's back, was taken for analysis at the Jerusalem District Police's
forensics lab.

Following the examination, four east Jerusalem youths where arrested after they confessed and recreated the event for police.

As part of the investigation, which was conducted with the help of the Shin Bet internal
security service, police learned that the four were previously arrested for throwing stones and Molotov cocktails.

Hatching the plan

During their original arrest the four joined forces and decided to form a cell intent on stabbing Jewish residents in protest against the "occupation."

They decided that the 13 and 14 year olds would take the role of lookouts while the other two would do the actual stabbing. The group then proceeded to purchase knives in Jerusalem's Old City.

Their first victim was Tau. The two lurked behind a truck in the Ras al-Amud neighborhood while their friends where charged with signaling them when a Jewish man or woman was about to arrive.

Police suspect that the 17 year old then stabbed Tau while the 15 year old planned to stab Tau's friend but was prevented from doing because a car passed by. After stabbing Tau, the four supposedly ran off to their respective houses.

Prisoner's dilemma

The day after the stabbing one of the suspects was arrested and taken in for questioning by the Shin Bet. A few days later his friend was also taken into custody as well.

The two eventually framed one another and revealed that their families were involved in the incident as well. This information led to the arrest of the father and brother of the 15-year-old suspect under suspicion of assisting the youth in discarding the knife. The sister of the second suspect was also arrested under suspicion that she knew of the attacks ahead of time. Police said they plan to press charges against the three family members as well.